Friction-clutch.



PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 880,083. PATENTED FER-25, 1908. E. LEHMANN.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.27. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Wa'fwnxen Jill/61:602-

#444, 74 imam-45mm NN, y rm z, yyg, 4 g a No. 880,083. PATENTED FEB. 25, 1908.

E. LEHMANN.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 27, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET a.

'' subject of Germany, residing at Marchienne plan view of a develo PATENT enrich.

ERNST LEHMANN, OF MARGHIENNE AU-PONT, BELGIUM.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

No. seo,oes.

Specification or Letters J'Eatemta Patented Feb; 25, 1908.

Application filed November 27 1906. Serial No- 345,370.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that l, EBNsrLEnMANN, a

au-Pont, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Frictiomtllutches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to friction clutches having a gradual action and has.for its object to avoid in this class of apparatus the usual slipping of the friction surfaces which takes place when the clutch is, subjected to shocks and vibrations as it is the case for in- 1stlpnce when used on a motor-vehicle or the 1 e.

A further object of my invention is to provide a clutch the dimensions of which can be extremely reduced.

With these objects in view, my invention essentially consists in the special arrangement and combinations of parts as hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the annexed drawings: Figure 1 shows in its upper part a vertical section through a friction clutch constructed according to the invention, the friction surfaces of the clutch being blocked" so as to avoid any slipping when in action and in the lower part a horizontal section through the same clutch, the surfaces being unblocked before the starting or stopping of the clutch; Fig. 2 is a d part of the driving member of the clutc1;- Fig. 3 is a separate and diagrammatic view of the pedal shafts actuating the clutch. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the clutch showing the means by which the frictional part of the clutch is actuated. Fig. 5 shows at the right part of the figure a front view of the clutch and at the left part a section through the axis of the means actuating the frictional part of the clutch.

The clutch properly so called may be of any suitable construction and makes no part of the invention which consists more particularly in the provision of suitable blocking means adapted to bodily connect the driving member of the clutch with the driven member as soon as the starting is effected.

in the drawing a indicates a driven shaft on which is keyed a cross-piece 5 provided with arms connected by bolts 5 with two friction members 0. The said members which may be formed of a suitable metal band are adapted to be expanded and contracted radially in a cylindrical casing d which may form a part of a fly-wheel keyed on a driving shaft d To this end each friction member 0 is provided with two trunnions 1 (Fig. 5) to which arepivoted sleeves 2 provided inside with a righthand screwthread for one friction member 0 and with a left hand screw-thread for the second fric tion member 0. ln thesaid sleeves 2 act corresponding screws 4 forming at the middle of their length circular plates 5 having equidistance holes 6 (Fig. l) in which are engaged pins 7 projecting from four connecting rods 8 pivoted on a sleeve e sliding on the shaft a. The parts thus far described are arranged combined and operated as in any ordinary Well-known construction of friction clutch.

According to the invention in order to prevent any slipping of the friction members 0 on the inner face of the casing (1 when the clutch is in operation, the said members are adapted to be bodily connected or blocked with the casing'd by means of bolts or catches -Z rocking on trunnions m provided on the bolts 1) connecting the cross-piece b withthe friction members 0. l/Vhen the said belts or catches Z are brought nearly in, a vertical position they are put in engagement with teeth is provided on the outer edge of the casing d (Fig. 2). an opposite direction on the trunnions m the said bolts Z are released or disengaged from the said teeth 7c.

The rocking of the bolts Z is produced by aid of a second sleeve n sliding on the sleeve e already mentioned. The actuating movement of the sleeves e and a is caused by two pedal shafts x y (Figs. 1 and 3). The shaft a: 1s provided with the usual clutching pedali which by aid of two arms h and two rods 9 acts on the sleeve 6 by aid" of the ordinary arrangement of thrust bearing collar 9 so as to cause the disengagement of the friction members, the clutching engagement of the friction members being permanently secured by aid of a coiled spring f acting directly on the sleeve e when the pedal i 1s not acted u on. The second shaft y is similarly provided with a pedal 9" actuating by two arms 1", two rods p and a thrust bearing 0, the sleeve n in which the ends Z of the bolts Z are held in suitable cavities or pockets.

Further when they are rocked in' part).

said teeth. The shaft m is further provided with an arm 8' adapted to act, at the moment of stop ing the action of the clutch on an arm t keyed on shaft y in such a manner as to causefan angular rotation of the said shaft which will be sufficient to disengage the bolts Zfrom the teeth 7c, the two arms 8 andt cooperate also to prevent any blockin of the friction members by the bolts I so ong as the pedal t is in the unclutching position. In order to avoid that the bolts-or catches Zremain in an undue position between the blocking and unblocking positions or that they should be unduly disen aged from the teeth 1c under the action of a sliock, the shaft y is provided with a segment a carrying two notches a and a (Fig. 3) into one of which is engaged the end of a spring actuated awl 0.

The device thus describe acts as follows: Under the action of the s ring f the sleeve e is displaced to the left in%ig. 1 and the friction members c are brought in the usual manner in frictional engagement with the inner face of the casing d which consequently transmits ower to the members 0 and to the shaft (1. which is rotated by the cross-piece 6 connected to the members a. As soon as the retative inertia of the driven part is overcome, the friction members 0 are rotated with nearly the same speed as the driving member d and it is then possible to block" the clutch by acting on the pedal r and rocking the same to the left. The pedal 7' dis lacing the sleeve 71, to the right causes the b0 ts or catches Z to come in engagement with the teeth of the drivin member (Z. (Fig. lupper part). in order to disengage the parts, it is only necessary to act on the pedal & so as to rock the same to the left; then the arm 8 acts on the arm t to rotate the shaft y, so as to move the sleeve n' to the left which results in the unblocking of the boltsl (Fig. 1-lower On account of a certain amount of free movement of the rods q, the sto ping action of the clutch, that is to say the isengagement of the members 0 and d is effected only after the unblocking of the bolts or scopes efficient manner.

Having I claim is: .1. In a friction clutch in combination a casing, the said casing serving as a driving member and being provided with teeth on its outer edge, friction members cooperating with theinner face of the said casing, a driven shaft, a sleeve adapted to slide on said shaft and acting on the friction members to bring them in frictional engagement with the driving member, bolts or catches pivoted on the said friction members and adapted to'be engagedwith the teeth on the driving member, a second sleeve actuating the said-bolts or catches, and means whereby the said second sleeve is acted upon on the stopping of the clutchsubstantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a friction clutch in combination a casing serving as a driving member and being provided with teeth on its outer edge, friction members cooperating with the inner face of the said casing, a driven shaft, a sleeve adapted to slide on said shaft and acting on the friction members to bring them in frictional engagement with the driving member, bolts or catches pivoted on the said friction members and adapted to be engaged with the teeth on the driving member, a pedal shaft actuating said sleeve, a second sleeve acting on the bolts or catches, a second pedal shaft for displacing the said second sleeve, a connection between the two pedal shafts whereby the second shaft is rotated anguthus described my invention what .larly when the first pedal shaft is acted upon 

